The Rottweiler, Also Known As…

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Rottweiler Names Throughout The History

The name Rottweiler is the most common name known for the breed. That is the name they are recognised as by the American Kennel Club (AKC) and the Allgemeiner Deutscher RottweilerKlub (ADRK). But I’m sure you have heard other names thrown around for the Rottweiler, and maybe even some that you have not heard before. I decided to take some time to look at the different names we use to associate such a noble and beloved breed.

Traditional Rottweiler Names

I am sure you have heard the name Rottweiler before. It refers to the big black dog with smooth fur, tan marking, a big blocky head, medium sized floppy ears, wide shoulders, docked tail, noble demeanor, and a strong overall appearance. They look like they were built to work. Well, that is because that is one of the things they were breed for.

The Rottweiler was also known as the Rottweil Metzgerhund. But some simply call them The Butcher’s Dog. That is because the Rottweiler was once used as a herding dog and tended to livestock and supplies. These versatile dogs have been known to be a working dog for humans since Roman times.

In 260 AD, when the Romans were driven out of Germany by the Swabians, the Romans left some of their companions behind. These dogs were originally travelling with the Roman army across the alps. They decided to settle in the southern section of Germany. At this time, cattle and livestock were very important if you wanted to make a living. And if it wasn’t livestock, it was some other form of agriculture. Germany was a great place to be if you had goods to buy, trade, or sell.

The dogs the Romans brought with them and left behind became a sought after commodity. This particular breed had so many uses, and they were strong, hardy, and smart. They began breeding and selling these dogs because they were such a great working dog, and an even better companion. That’s one of the main reasons people are referring to Rott’s as German Rottweilers.

Around 700 AD, when the Christian Church was built where the Roman Baths formerly stood, they decided they must name this great city which was thriving with agriculture, livestock, trading, and had a booming economy. Since the Romans designed their baths with red tiles, the name of the city became known as Rottweil. And out of Rottweil, the city of booming agriculture, came this great working dog. This smart, strong, obedient dog became known as the Rottweil Metzgerhund. Or just simply, the Butcher’s Dog.

The Rottweil Metzgerhund, or Butcher’s Dog, is what we call today, the Rottweiler. But why do we call them the Butcher’s Dog? Well, in case you haven’t noticed yet, the Rottweiler is quite a versatile companion. They became known as the Butcher’s Dog simply because they would pull the carts laden with meat for the butchers. Not only were they strong enough to pull the heavy meat carts for the butchers, but they would also serve as a guard for your cart.

The butcher’s knew no one was going to dare steal meat off a cart pulled by a dog with big jaws and teeth that could give you a nasty bite. A cart pulled by a horse is more likely to be messed with because horses are not naturally a protective breed of animal. But a dog is very protective and trainable. Also, the butcher can have some peace of mind on their journey back home knowing that the money from their meat sales will be safe with their faithful companion looking after them.

So the Rottweil Metzgerhund, which was also called the Butcher’s Dog, became known simply as the Rottweiler. And today, they are still doing great work as service dogs, police dogs, rescue dogs, guard dogs, and companion dogs.

Non-Traditional Rottweiler Names

The Rottweiler was officially recognized as a breed by the American Kennel Club (AKC) in 1931. Since that time, we have decided to give them some other names as well. It is not uncommon to hear them called a Rottie. This is a fun, and affectionate name that we gave our dogs. The Rottie was not just for work. They have also been known to be great companions.

Not only is the Rottie a smart breed, but they are also very kind in nature. They have been given a bad name in more recent times due to the explosion of dangerous dog fighting, which became popular with this breed because of their size, strength, and trainability. But we are not going to discuss the negative aspects of dogs, because there shouldn’t ever be one. Rottweilers were originally meant to be our guardians, our companions, and our muscle in some cases.

Since we are discussing nontraditional names for the Rottweiler, we must not forget the shortened version, the Rott. This dog can simply be summed up in one small word. They don’t need a big fancy name to describe what they are, they are just the Rott.

So, the Rottweiler has been affectionately known as the Rott, the Rottie, and the Butcher’s Dog. The most descriptive word for them would have to be the Butcher’s Dog. And as we learned already, the Butcher’s Dog would pull the meat carts for the butchers and guard the meat from thieves. Today, they serve many other purposes, which is why i believe they decided on the name Rottweiler instead of Butcher’s Dog.

They were from Rottweil, so why not call them the Rottweiler? To just call them the Butcher’s Dog would suggest that they were only used for carting around meat for the butcher. Their job was much more involved than to just cart around meat. They also protected the meat from being stolen, and also protected the butcher on his way home from the market. When the butcher sold his meat, he had money to bring back home with him. He would be a target if he didn’t have his trusty companion with him.

So whether it is the Rottweiler, the Rottweil Metzgerhund, the Butcher’s Dog, the Rottie, or just simply the Rott, our faithful companion has been there for us for many years, and thanks to everyone out there who also has a love for the breed, they will probably be around for a long time to come.

Name Ideas for a Male Rottweilers

Here are some names that would be a perfect for a male Rottweiler:

Ace, Archie, Aaron

Ben, Benji, Bo, Bobo, Boots, Buddy

Captain, Chief, Chip, Cody, Colt

Dash, Duke, Dusty

Felix

Goober, Gumby, Gus

Hawk, Hunter

Jack, Jax, Joker

Kid, King, Kobe

Lance, Leo, Lucky

Mac, Milo, Monty

Ollie, Oscar

Paws, Pepper, Prince

Ranger, Riley, River, Ruff, Rusty

Sal, Sam, Sarge, Scooter, Spike, Stone

Tank, Tiger, Toby, Trip, Tug

Warrior, Wolf

Zack, Zues

Female Rottweiler Names

Is your puppy an adorable girl? Here are some name suggestions for a female Rottweiler:

Andrew developed a love for Rottweilers on his family farm where he grew up with his two amazing Rottweilers, Jax and Shadow. He developed an incredible bond with them from a very young age and his life was forever impacted by these amazing dogs. He has worked with quite a few Rottweilers now and his love and passion for this breed continues to grow everyday.